Prior art glass fiber filament winders are often complex and extremely costly. Some filament winders apply glass fiber to a rotating form with the form and associated fiber wrap being passed through a trough of hand-mixed resin and catalyst to effect the hardening of the formed part. Often, the filament winder is controlled by data processing equipment to carefully gauge the wrapping process during the covering of the particular form. Accordingly, the operator of the filament winder was generally required to have extensive training in both the glass fiber arts and in computer control machinery thusly severely decreasing the available number of qualified operators.
The subject invention pertains both to the method and apparatus for winding resin coated glass fiber band(s) on corrugated forms to thereby form hardened cylindrical corrugated glass fiber parts. The device includes a collapsible cylindrical rotatable corrugated form that is supported for rotation between two end support sections. An I-beam spans the two end sections directly above the cylindrical corrugated form and has an endless chain rotatably mounted on one side of the vertical web of the I-beam. The chain and the cylindrical corrugated form are rotated at preselected speeds. The applicator is connected with the endless chain on the opposite side of the vertical web of the I-beam and is movable fore and aft of the length of the corrugated cylindrical form surface within the limits prescribed by the movement of the chain.
The applicator includes a resin pot with a resin and catalyst liquefier mounted on the top thereof. The upper portion of the pot accepts the several strands of glass fiber with the lower end of the pot having a rubber diaphragm-like wiping surface that is positionable to control the amount of resin and catalyst coat being applied to the glass fiber strands as they are passed out from the lower pot portion in the form of a band.
The end portion of the fibers are tied to the inside of the rotatable corrugated form with the applicator being started at the aftmost position with respect to the form and the supporting I-beam. The form is then rotated and the applicator moved forwardly by the movement of the endless chain. The applicator applies the glass fiber band to the corrugated form in such a manner so that the strands of the glass fiber band do not bridge over the corrugations and proceed to wrap the glass fiber band around the form in a spiral fashion. The applicator will include a glass fiber chopper and a sprayer so that chopped glass fibers may be applied directly onto the coated resin bands as the wrapping proceeds around the corrugated form. By properly selecting the number of links in the chain and the speed of form rotation in conjunction with the angle of application of the bands to the form, the spiral bands will abut each other during the winding process and will not overlap except where required by the spiral wrapping process. In this fashion, the wrapping continues with the chopped glass fibers being sprayed thereon at selected time periods until the form is completely coated with the combination of bands and chopped glass fiber. After appropriate squeegee action by the apparatus operator, the material is allowed to harden a preselected length of time. Then, the form is collapsed, the hardened corrugated product loosened from the form, and the part removed either by pulling with an electric winch or by hand-walking the hardened part from the form. The process and apparatus is then immediately ready for re-use with a minimal amount of preparation necessary. The subject method and apparatus has eliminated many complex and expensive features heretofore required to accomplish the wrapping of corrugated form of glass fiber bands. This has, in part, been made possible by the orientation of the applicator head, the speed of the form, and the movement of the applicator by the associated endless chain.
The unique method includes the steps of
causing relative motion between said form and a glass fiber applicator,
wrapping a glass fiber band with a resin coating thereon on said form in a spiral pattern without bridging over said corrugations in said form,
permitting said glass fiber to harden on said form thereby forming said corrugated part, and
removing said hardened part from said form after a predetermined period of time.
One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a uniquely constructed filament winding machine. As a corollary thereto, an equally important object is to provide a unique method for continuously winding glass fiber on corrugated forms.
Another object of the invention is to provide uniquely constructed filament winder that is simple to operate. It is a feature of the invention that unskilled labor can be hired who still require only a minimum amount of instruction and education prior to operating the subject filament winder.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unique method for filament winding corrugated forms to thereby form cylindrical corrugated hardened parts, said method comprising the steps of
rotating said form,
wrapping a glass fiber band with a resin coating thereon on said form in a spiral pattern without bridging over said corrugations in said form,
permitting said glass fiber to harden on said form after a predetermined period of time.
A further object of the invention is to provide uniquely constructed filament winder of the character described which includes a novel glass fiber applicator. It is a feature of the applicator that both chopped glass fiber and a band of glass fiber strands may be applied simultaneously to the corrugated form.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a filament winder of the character described immediately above which includes a novel support means and chain drive mechanism for the glass fiber applicator. It is an important feature of the invention that the applicator fore and aft speed in relation to the form rotational movement and travel distance are correlated to enable the form to be optimally wrapped.
Another very significant object of the invention is to provide a unique filament winder capable of winding glass fibers on and around a corrugated form without bridging over the corrugations during the winding process.
A further object is to provide a winder of the character described immediately above that is capable of filament winding continuous corrugations by making spiral wraps over the surface of the corrugated form.
Another object of the invention is to provide, in glass fiber filament winders, a unique method for maintaining a proper amount of calcium carbonate in liquid resin which is to be applied to the other glass fibers during the winding process.
Another object of the invention is to provide in a filament winder of the character described, a unique means for applying resin and catalyst to glass fiber strands. The means includes a novel aerosol liquifier structure in combination with a glass fiber strand wetting pot and wiper. In this manner, the amount of resin and catalyst combination can be varied a controlled amount as the glass band (or chopped glass fiber) is being applied to the corrugated form.
A further object of the invention is to provide a unique method and apparatus for continuously winding a band of glass fiber strands on a continuously corrugated form and to have the ability to alter or change the winding pattern on the form by changing the rotative speed of the corrugated form.
A further object of the invention is to provide a unique method and apparatus for varying the volume of catalyst and resin that is applied to glass fiber during a continuous winding process.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a unique method and apparatus that permits a simultaneous application of chopped glass fiber and a plurality of glass fiber bands from the same applicator to a form during the continuous winding of same.
A further object is to provide a filament winder for continuously winding glass fiber filament on corrugated forms which includes a unique means for moving the filament applicator with respect to the form. It is an important feature of the invention that the rotational speed of the form, and the length of the endless chain which drives the applicator are interrelated in a unique manner to insure that a band which comprises a plurality of glass fiber strands is properly laid on the rotating form.
These and other objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.